As a parent, it’s your responsibility to make careful decisions that prioritize your children’s health and well-being at all times. One important consideration you mustn’t forget when it comes to your kid’s health is their oral hygiene. After all, good oral hygiene practices are your first line of defense against oral diseases, gum issues, or dental problems. Aside from that, dental and gum diseases, if left ignored and untreated, could also lead to pain, infection, and affect the overall health of your child.
Healthy oral hygiene is also an excellent way to help your kids follow correct dental maintenance and proper brushing while developing a positive self-image and performing well in school. As a parent, it’s your job to help your children know more about proper dental care from the earliest possible age. When you’ve established the importance of proper dental hygiene to your child at a very young age, you can guarantee that they’ll have a good set of teeth and a smile that will last a lifetime.
Perhaps your question now is, how are you going to help improve your children’s dental health at an earlier age? Some of the parents may find it hard to introduce the importance of proper dental care to their kids, especially if most of them fear the thought of seeing a dentist.
Fortunately, there are steps that you can do to help you establish good dental habits for your children. Here are eight tips that you can follow to improve your children’s dental health.
- Start Teaching Them About Good Dental Habits as Early as Possible
If you’re wondering when’s the best time to start caring for your child’s dental health, you can start as soon as your baby’s first teeth appear. Your child’s baby teeth will usually grow at around six to eight months after their birth. However, some parents may think that baby teeth are not as important as adult teeth due to the thought that they’re temporary and will eventually be replaced during their toddlerhood or preschool days. According to the Dentist in Harrisburg, cultivating good dental habits while your children are still young can help them conquer their fear of the dentist too.
But the thing is, your child’s baby teeth serve an essential role in their teeth development in the future. These teeth will serve as the place holder for their upcoming permanent teeth. In case your child loses her baby tooth earlier than expected, it may lead to crowding once the permanent teeth are set to grow. Furthermore, if there are any cavities and dental decay left in your baby’s teeth, it could affect the growth of her adult teeth underneath. In worse cases, the decay could cause an infection which could spread to other parts of your child’s body.
To avoid this, you can consult a trusted family dentist, such as https://familydentalhealth.com/, to help you in caring for your baby’s tooth at the earliest possible time. The dentist can recommend you a special toothbrush and toothpaste specifically for babies. This small toothbrush will be capable of accessing all areas of your child’s teeth and allows them to hold this brush with ease. The earlier you teach good dental habits to your child, the easier it is for them to grow with it as part of their routine.
- Teach Them the Right Brushing Technique
You may have taught your children the importance of brushing their teeth regularly, but the lesson doesn’t stop there. Instead of leaving your kids to brush their teeth unsupervised, make it a habit to monitor your child’s brushing technique until at the age of seven. Developing an improper brushing technique may seem like a harmless act at first, but it can actually counteract the essence of the brushing itself. Improper brushing cannot remove the bacteria, plaque, or cavities that were formed in your child’s teeth after eating. These unremoved food bits will soon build up and cause tooth decay.
Thus, it’s very important to teach your kids the proper brushing technique from a young age to ensure they’re cleaning their teeth effectively. Aside from that, make sure you let your kids budget enough time for brushing. The recommended time for kids to brush their teeth is two minutes. If you leave your kids to brush their teeth on their own, they could easily disregard the two-minute brushing rule, as well as the proper brushing technique. If possible, you can brush with your child instead to make sure they’re following the rules.
Additionally, avoid asking your kids to brush their teeth within an hour after their meals because, during this time, their enamel will be weak. Normally, it takes at least an hour before your mouth returns to its normal state after eating, so an hour after that may be the safest time to let them brush their teeth. Otherwise, brushing their teeth right after every meal can damage their enamel and eventually result in tooth erosion.
- Help Them to Properly Floss Their Teeth at an Early Age
Aside from teaching them the correct brushing technique, don’t forget to teach them how to floss correctly. It may seem too young for your kids to learn the practice of flossing, especially since flossing is not as easy as brushing. Thus, some parents find the thought of teaching kids to floss implausible.
But the thing is that as soon as your child’s baby teeth touch, it’s already possible for cavities to form between the crevices where it’s not usually reached by simple brushing. These cavities in between can only be reached and prevented by flossing. Thus, don’t hesitate to teach this to your kids at an earlier age. Soon, their flossing skills will eventually be developed, and they become more comfortable in including it in their routine.
- Choose the Correct Type and Size of Toothbrush
Brushing your teeth requires proper skills and agility, hence teaching it to kids at an early age. Children, especially those who have small hands and don’t know how to properly write yet, don’t have that agility in their hands to hold a brush properly. Thus, it’s essential that you get your child the correct type and size of a toothbrush that supports their small set of teeth and hands to make the task easier for them.
Giving your child a toothbrush that is too big or has very hard bristles will not only complicate the task of brushing but can also damage their sensitive gums. If you’re unsure which type of toothbrush to buy, you can always consult your family dentist for the recommended toothbrush for your child’s age and gums. Aside from that, make sure you replace your kid’s toothbrush every three to four months, or more often than that. Eventually, bristles will be worn down after using it for a couple of months and lose their effectiveness.
- Make the Brushing Process A Fun Experience for Them
Unfortunately, some kids find brushing a tiresome task to do, despite reminding them of its essence. To make flossing and brushing an enjoyable experience for your kid, you can join them in brushing and play music or a video to help pass the two-minute time.
You can pick a kid’s song which you and your child can dance and brush your teeth along to. If you and your kid go for a song longer than two minutes, the better.
- Lead Them A Healthy Diet for A Healthier Teeth
Keeping your child’s dental health good is not only about the proper brushing technique or the correct toothbrush use. Most of the time, it has to with the food that your child usually eats. When you’ve allowed your child to get used to eating unhealthy food, like chips, chocolates, and candies, the more their teeth are at risk of bacteria and, eventually, tooth decay. Sugary foods tend to stay longer on your child’s teeth, increasing their chances of developing into cavities and grow bacteria. Once this happens, your child’s teeth will become discolored, pitted, and cause holes in their teeth.
Instead, try to feed your child with healthy fruits and vegetables instead of unhealthy ones. Not only are these foods good for the teeth, but they’re good for their overall health. Aside from that, some food can also help strengthen your child’s teeth, such as milk, cheese, and yogurt. In case your kid has just consumed something sugary, make sure to let them drink plenty of water to help flush out the food debris and the sugar out from their teeth. Water will also boost your child’s saliva production, which helps protect their tooth enamel.
- Make Dental Checkups as Part of Their Routine
There’s no such thing as too early when it comes to setting a dental appointment for your baby. But for many, kids must start having their dental checkups from the age of two and above. You don’t have to wait for your child’s first toothache experience before you decide to bring them for a dental checkup. Your child’s first dental experience should not only be about getting a tooth pulled or intensive checkups. It’s more about introducing your kid to what a dental clinic is, how it looks and feels like, what tools are commonly used, and what to expect.
Avoid linking dentist visits with something associated with dental problems. You can schedule them a dental checkup for teeth cleaning or simply a consultation. Your child’s first impression of dentists and dental clinics could last so long, so make sure to keep their first experience as positive as possible.
- Never Use the Dentist to Scare or Punish Your Kids
This is one of the most common mistakes parents make regarding their child’s dental health. Instead of encouraging them, some parents use dentists as a scare tactic to ensure their kids will brush regularly. While this tactic may have worked for many, this technique will only scare your children away from dentists and dental checkups. By the time comes where you’ll need to bring them to the dental clinic, you’ll have a tough time even getting them there without tantrums.
Thus, remember never to use the dentist to scare or punish your kids. After all, dentists are not people to be afraid of. They are professionals who can help your kids have clean and healthy teeth. Making dental checkups as your kid’s monthly or quarterly routine will help keep your child’s dental health in good shape.
Looking Ahead for Your Child’s Dental Health
While every kid is different, referring to these tips above may help you choose which one would best resonate with your kid. The important thing is that you can communicate with them and help them establish proper dental care in a way that they best understand.
As soon as you’ve made your child understand its essence, you may start planning your dental checkups with your child. Make sure that dental checkups will become part of your kid’s routine as they grow up. Your child deserves to grow up with healthy dental hygiene while at the same time feeling good about themselves and their smile. After all, the first step to building a child’s confidence is by keeping them healthy from within.
I’m a 20-something stay-at-home mother and wife. I have an amazing husband, a beautiful daughter, two loving dogs, and a lazy cat. I wouldn’t change my life for anything! I love to read, listen to music, cook and blog!
Speak Your Mind